The Sweet Crazy Life

Chapter 11: Drenched

CHAPTER 11: Drenched

Ariana

After the weekend at Nick's, I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

I know I was being unreasonable and confusing by not telling him why I've been avoiding him for the past two months. Fortunately, Ro didn't force me to tell him the reason and decided to respect my decision. Still... eventually, someone has to know. I've already broke the deal Bethany gave me by talking to Ro. I wanted to tell them so badly but I'm scared.

The fact I don't have the same social status as Bethany already proves I'm no match for her. She's rich, I'm poor. She's the granddaughter of the president, I'm the scholar who could be kicked out with one call. She could even hurt Lannie if my mouth slipped.

Ro and I only converse when we're both inside the safety of Cinnamon lodge. But outside, we hardly talk at all except during classes when Ro would instruct us on what to do. So far, these couple of weeks, everything is normal. Bethany seems to have no idea I'm having contact with the guy she presumes she would marry in the future. Everything was all well until...

"Lannie! What are you doing?!" I almost screamed when I ran towards my best friend. I was walking out of Roth Hall and into Anton Plaza where I was supposed to meet up with her. Then, there she was, drenched in the fountain.

Lannie turned towards me and gave a goofy smile. "Oh, hey, Ari..."

"Don't you 'hey, Ari' me! Get out of there!" I grabbed her wet arm and pulled her out. I didn't mind getting a bit wet, I just had to get Lannie out there.

As she was outside the fountain, Lannie pulled her arm away from my grasp and hurried back to the fountain in a jiffy.

"My notes!" Lannie was scrambling, gathering some things into her arms. It was then I noticed the papers and notebooks strewn all over the gigantic fountain.

I helped her grab what I could but some of the papers were already ripped and ruined. The text illegible. The water was so cold.

I grabbed Lannie's arm once more and this time she didn't protest. We carried what was left of Lannie's notes in our arms which was probably all useless anyways. Lannie uses gel pens and those things blot easily.

"Oh, damn... I just lost all my notes for this semester and exams are next week." Lannie says, glumly.

"Why were they under the fountain in the first place?" I asked Lannie.

"I don't know, they were supposed to be in my locker and when I got out, I found them there... I mean, who would do something like this?"

The question was one I could answer. When Bethany said she'd tangle up Lannie if I broke the deal then she meant it. Which means... she knows?

The fact that people were already looking at us funny while we were drenched to the bone, carrying what was left of Lannie's notes, a cold breezed had to waft by, sending chills down our spines.

"Going out for a swim, dear Ari?" came the voice of Bethany Keillon.

I turned to her mirthfully. Bethany, along with her two of her friends, came towards us. She had a knowing smile on her face.

"You two should definitely go to the locker rooms and change." Bethany told us. "You might catch a cold."

"I know you did this." I told her directly.

Bethany batted her eyelashes at me and frowned. "Ariana dear, are you blaming me for why your currently wet now? Ouch."

"No I-"

"Back off, Bethany." Lannie interjects. "Leave her alone."

Bethany looks at her accusingly. "No, you back off Melanie. This is none of your business."

"She's my best friend, of course it's my business!" (My best friend said this two years ago when she defended me :) She's always been there for me so... thanks so much Ela!)

Bethany's mouth hung open, unable to retort.

"You'll catch flies, if you don't shut your mouth." Lannie added and we both chuckled. She's the best.

"Ari! Lannie!"

Ro came running with his backpack swaying behind him.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"Oh, we were salvaging my notes under the fountain." Lannie explains as she unzipped her still dry back pack, taking out a dry jacket she used to wrap around herself. She must have left it a few meters away from the fountain. "It was my fault, I must've forgot to lock my locker this morning. Don't worry, it's just a prank."

Ro turned to me and held both of my shoulders in his hands asking, "Are you all right?"

His deep green eyes bore into mine and I couldn't breathe for some reason. I idled, staring at his worried-sick expression. He looked really cute with his eyebrows scrunched...

"I-I-I'm fine." I managed to stutter out. I gave a small sneeze and shivered. The water in the fountain was ice-cold and this breeze wasn't helping one bit.

"Your gonna catch a cold, crazy." He told me and smirked. "What were you two thinking? Diving into the fountain in the middle of the day."

"I was helping Lannie." I reasoned.

Ro gave a small laugh and patted my head. "I know. That was a really nice thing to do..."

He unzipped his backpack and took out his Letterman jacket and draped it over my shoulders. It helped protect me from the cold breeze.

"You and Lannie better change your clothes." Ro instructed me. "Classes will be starting in twenty minutes."

"I'll get your jacket wet." I told him.

"Keep it on for now, you need it more than I do."

A teacher had come towards us and ushered us back inside Roth Hall to change our clothes.

I looked behind me. Ro was there giving me a small wave and I smiled in return but it soon faltered as I looked at Bethany, who looked directly at me, a serious expression on her face. She was shaking her head.